


I Am a Soldier?

by aumontalc



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-06
Updated: 2016-11-06
Packaged: 2018-08-29 08:31:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8482627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aumontalc/pseuds/aumontalc
Summary: Set after 8x24, April finds out she is pregnant.





	

April picked up the plastic stick she had peed on five minutes ago. As she looked down, she read the result. She looked at the other two sticks. All three of them had the same word:

Pregnant

"What do you know, I can pass a test," April muttered to herself.

Shock and fear made her heart race, but there was another deeper and stronger emotion. Joy. There was no explanation for it. Nothing about this situation was right. She wasn't married, not even in a relationship. The father of her baby would be going to Tulane in a month. She had no emotional support here. Her finances were ok, but not ideal. She had gotten her job back at Seattle Grace, but it came with a resident's salary. Both of her roommates were leaving, so she needed to find a smaller and cheaper place.

Thinking of her parents' reaction to her news brought a sharp pain to her heart. Her parents would be ashamed of and disappointed in her. They expected her to be married when she got pregnant. They expected her to be a virgin until she got married.

She had expected that as well. Even though she had that thing with Alex, she had truly wanted to wait until her wedding night. Trying to hook up with Alex had been stupid. When they had started kissing, warning bells went off and a twinge of guilt started to set in. Everything had started so fast, she soon realized this wasn't what she wanted. She asked him to slow down. She had foolishly thought they could just kiss for a while until she got her thoughts together. Although Alex had been the one to walk out, she knew that she would have eventually stopped him before anything too serious happened. With Jackson, there had been no dings of alarm or pings of guilt to slow her down. She hadn't stopped once to think about the consequences.

All of the negatives swirled in her brain, but one happy thought remained. She was going to have a baby. She was going to be a mom.

Her hand covered her stomach. "Hello, little one," she cooed to her unborn baby. "I'm your mama."

Memories of her child's conception flooded back. Her impulsiveness during the fight. Kissing Jackson and having him kiss her back. Jackson walking her backwards into the hotel room. Clothes coming off. Her virginity lost. The shame afterwards. The next day's freak out. Talking to Jackson in the bathroom. Jackson locking the door. Kissing him again. Being lifted and carried to a bathroom stall where…

April mentally shook herself. What was she doing? There was no point in reliving those memories. She had many decisions to make. The first of which was how to tell Jackson he was going to be a dad.

April sat next to the bathtub after throwing up her dinner. Apparently, morning sickness happened anytime. She couldn't remember the last time she had properly digested her food. She pressed her face against the cold ceramic of the tub, her truest friend during times of queasiness.

"I'm guessing you're not a big fan of macaroni and cheese," she whispered to the baby inside her belly.

* * *

It had been four days since she took the home pregnancy test and she still hadn't told Jackson. Now that she knew she was pregnant, she felt even more awkward around him. Lucky for her, he hadn't noticed. They had worked different hours the past few days. Tonight was the first night they were off together and the most logical time to share her news.

Get yourself together April, she told herself. Stop being a coward.

As was her habit, she had made a list. The beginning of her list started with normal ways to tell a man you're pregnant.

1\. I am pregnant.

2\. So, we need to talk. It looks like I'm going to have a baby and it's yours.

3\. I know this is really bad timing with your new job and everything, but I am pregnant.

In the middle of writing her list, she had run to the bathroom to throw up. When she came back, exhaustion and anger combined to produce the following semi-malicious statements.

4\. Remember that time when we had sex and you didn't use any form of protection? This might come as a shock to you, but I'm pregnant.

5\. Just wanted to say thanks. Thanks for knocking me up. Thanks for making me puke all the time. Thanks for introducing me to my new friend the toilet. We're probably going to be BFFs for the next couple of months. Also, totally looking forward to pushing 8 lbs of baby out my hoo-ha 7 months from now.

6\. Boys are stupid. You are stupid. I don't like you and I wish you were never born. Why did you make me pregnant jackass?

Quickly jotting down some of her nastier thoughts had made her feel a little better. Her final suggestion was more of a pep talk.

7\. I am pregnant. (Just say it. Say the words. He has a right to know. Just say I am pregnant. Tell him. Say it. You can do it. YOU CAN DO IT!)

Deep down, she knew the reason why she was dragging her feet. She was afraid. If he wanted to be a part of their child's life, he would have to give up Tulane. She didn't want to be the one responsible for ruining his career. If he decided to go to Tulane anyway? Well, she didn't want to think about that. Neither scenario in her head ended happily.

She realized she couldn't let fear continue to control her. No matter how Jackson responded, good or bad, she could do this. Hunt had told her she was a soldier. OK, maybe she didn't fully believe that, but she knew she could get to that level of confidence eventually. Her child would need someone to rely on. She needed to start being brave now so that it would be like second nature to her when her child was born.

She pushed away from the tub and stood up. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she looked herself dead in the eye and said, "You've got this Kepner."

Leaving the bathroom, she went straight to Jackson's room and knocked on the door.

"Come in," Jackson called.

"Hey, Jackson. Do you have a sec? I need to talk to you about something."

April stepped into Jackson's room and shut the door. She found Jackson leaning against his headboard, working on his computer. Trying to work up the courage to discuss their impending future, she decided to make small talk first.

"Are you busy with something?" asked April.

"Not really. I'm just trying to find suitable places to rent in New Orleans," Jackson replied.

"Find anything?"

"Yeah, there are a couple of places close to the hospital. Come over here and tell me what you think of them." Jackson patted the empty space next to him.

April sat down on the bed. Jackson scooted closer to her and clicked through the different places he was considering.

"Which one do you think I should rent?" Jackson asked.

"Umm, I don't know. They all look nice." April frowned thinking how short lived his excitement would be once she told him her news.

Jackson, misinterpreting her frown, murmured, "Hey, you know I'm going to miss you, right? It won't be the same without you around." Jackson set down the laptop and looked into her eyes. How was she supposed to think when she looked into those eyes? She could spend hours trying to figure out if they were blue or green.

She felt the brush of Jackson's lips against her own. He deepened the kiss as he pressed her back onto the pillows.

"Jackson," she sighed.

"Nothing has to happen. I just want to kiss you for a little while," he said as he leaned back down to kiss her.

April abruptly sat up, pushing Jackson backwards.

"No, this wasn't the reason I came to see you."

"It wasn't?" Jackson smirked.

"Pregnant," she finally gasped. "I…I…I'm pregnant. About 8 weeks. I didn't know for a while. Then, I started throwing up in the mornings, but it never went away. Then, I realized I hadn't had my period in a while. So, I took a test. Actually, I took three. They are still in the garbage, if you want to see them. But, they all say the same thing. I'm pregnant."

Jackson stared at her in open-mouthed shock. He attempted to speak but no words came out.

"I think I'll give you some time to process. Let me know when you want to talk," April said before she opened the door and hurried down the hall.

When she got back to her room, she put her hand on her pounding heart. I did it, she thought. The hardest part is over. Now all she had to do was wait for Jackson to respond.

How would he react? He was apparently in shock. What if he got mad at her? What if he thought she should get rid of the baby? What if he didn't want to be a part of her life or her baby's? All her doubts raced through her mind. A few tears escaped from her eyes. She pressed her hands to her face to prevent the flow of any more tears.

She didn't look up when she heard the door open or when she felt the bed dip. She finally glanced up at Jackson when she felt his arms slip around her.

"Shhh. It's going to be ok. I'm sorry about before. I just didn't know what to say," he said as he stroked her back.

"I can't blame you. I wasn't very smooth. I sounded so stupid just rambling on like that. Do you know I even made a list of ways to tell you?"

"Can I see it?"

"No. Some of the stuff I wrote was kind of mean."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I wrote some of it after throwing up. I wasn't exactly in the best of moods."

Jackson laughed. "Do you still get morning sickness a lot?"

"Every…single…day."

"I'm sorry."

"You should be."

He kissed her on the forehead. "What do you want to do about the baby?"

"I want to keep it."

* * *

Jackson and April lay side by side staring at the ceiling. April lay there waiting for Jackson to say something, anything. After what seemed like an eternity, Jackson finally spoke.

"I'm not sure how long it takes, but I think we could get a license pretty quickly. We could have the ceremony at city hall and have some sort of reception at a restaurant."

"What?" April squeaked.

Jackson, not noticing that April had interjected, kept talking "Also, we'll have to move shortly after that. I'm sure we can find you a position at an ER in New Orleans. You're due in…January, so that should give you about four or five months to study before you retake your boards in June. Then…"

April sat up, "Jackson, wait. Wait. What are you talking about?"

"Do you want to stay here? I could probably get my job back at Seattle Grace."

"No, Jackson, that's not what I'm talking about. A license? A ceremony and a reception? Are you saying we should get married?"

"Of course. I mean you're pregnant. I'm the father. It just makes sense."

"Umm, not quite. Yes, I'm pregnant. Yes, you're the father. But getting married doesn't make sense. We're good friends, but we're not in love. We can't say vows we don't mean, just because there's going to be a baby. I don't know about you, but when I get married, I want it to be forever. I can't see a shotgun wedding ending in happily ever after. Sorry Jackson, but there's no way I can marry you."

Jackson scoffed, "Happily ever after? What are we, in a Disney movie? We are going to be parents. Let's be realistic. Do you really think you can handle being a single mom? You are still naïve in so many ways. I mean, losing your virginity shook you up so badly that you failed your boards. Then, you went on a drinking binge after you found out the results. You get flustered and upset way too easily. Parenting is hard enough with two people. Going at this all alone? Come on April, don't be ridiculous."

Taken aback, April said in a hurt voice, "I'm glad I have a little insight into how you truly feel about me. I know who I am. I know I'm awkward and I don't always deal with stress successfully. But, you know what? I'm a lot stronger than you and everyone else gives me credit for. I have survived two close friends dying, losing my job twice, and being ridiculed constantly by my coworkers. I fully expect raising a child to be difficult, but I have faith in myself. I do not need you to marry me in order to be a good mom. Now if you don't mind, I'd really like to get some rest."

"April, I'm sorry," Jackson tried to close the distance between them, but April pushed him away.

"That was a hint for you to leave."

"Alright, but we need to finish figuring this out. We'll talk tomorrow," Jackson said as he closed the door.

* * *

They didn't talk the next day or for two days after that. Jackson had apologized repeatedly, but April still wasn't ready to forgive him.

After finishing a surgery late one afternoon, April was walking down the hall when Jackson grabbed her by the hand. He pulled her into an empty on call room.

"April, we need to talk."

"I have things I need to do."

"April, just sit down…please"

April sat stiffly on the edge of a bed.

Jackson began, "I handled things badly and I'm sorry for that. Will you forgive me?"

"No, I won't. Is that all?" April moved to get up.

"No. I was an ass. I get that, but why can't we get past this? You forgave Alex after what he did to you. Why can't you forgive me?"

"I could forgive Alex because his opinion of me doesn't matter as much as yours does. I'm going to be the mother of your child. It hurts to know that you don't think I can do a good job of raising our child."

"April, I didn't say that. You're going to be a great mom. You sacrifice yourself for others all the time and who else made sure the house was clean and everyone was fed at Meredith's?" he smiled. His face turned serious as he said, "I didn't mean to hurt you by what I said. I just feel that getting married would be the best way to handle this situation."

"I know you think that now, but practicality doesn't make a marriage last. Love does. We're good friends who care for each other deeply, but it's not enough for marriage. This is getting old. Can we just drop it?"

"I'll drop it, but I won't be letting you raise the child alone. I've decided to stay in Seattle. I talked to Hunt today and he was able to give me a position as an attending."

"What? What about Tulane?"

"That ship pretty much sailed as soon as I found out about the baby. I wasn't ecstatic about going anyways. It's no big loss."

"Are you sure?" April whispered.

"Positive."

April noticed that he seemed unperturbed about Tulane. To be honest, she was happy that he chose to stay in Seattle. She wasn't ready to marry him, but she would need his support during her pregnancy.

"Let's get some dinner," Jackson said. "It's the least I can do for being such a jerk earlier this week."

"Sure, let me finish up my paper work and I'll meet you in about an hour."

* * *

Later that night, April finally enjoyed a meal without feeling nauseous. She shared her thoughts with Jackson leading him to ask, "Have you found an OB/GYN yet?"

"Yes, Dr. Linda Baylor. I have my first appointment with her a week from today."

"Do you mind if I come with you?"

"No, if you want to, that's fine."

"Yeah, I want to. It might not be so bad having a kid. I'll have to ask Sloan if he's heard of this Dr. Baylor."

April stopped chewing. "Why would you talk to Sloan?"

"He's already gone through all of this. Maybe he can give me some pointers."

"Have you told him that I'm pregnant?"

"No, not yet. Why?"

"I don't think we should tell people we're going to have a baby. At least, not right now."

"Any particular reason?" Jackson asked.

"I just don't want to deal with all the questions and people looking at me differently. I get teased at work enough as it is. I'd rather not add fuel to the fire. Can we just keep it a secret for a little while, please?" April pleaded.

"If that's what you want, then yes."

* * *

A week later, Jackson and April sat in an examining room in Dr. Baylor's office. They looked up as they heard the door open.

"Hi, April, I'm Dr. Baylor."

"Hello. This is my friend Jackson. He's the father."

"Nice to meet you, Jackson. April, why don't you change and then we'll get started with the pelvic exam. There are some gowns in that drawer over there. I'll be back in about 5 minutes."

"Oh, OK," April bit her lip as Dr. Baylor left. "Jackson, do you mind waiting outside during the pelvic exam?"

"Really? I've already seen you without your clothes. It's not a big deal."

"I know that, but it's just weird now. Could you go, please?"

After Jackson left, April quickly changed into a hospital gown. She nervously tapped her fingers as she waited for Dr. Baylor to come back.

She heard a light rap on the door, "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, yes, I'm ready."

Dr. Baylor motioned for her to lie down. "No need to be nervous. I'm going to have a look and then I'll take a sample for a pap smear."

"Oh, I'm not nervous about the exam. I'm actually a doctor myself."

"Really? What specialty?"

"Trauma. But, I'm still a surgical resident."

"You'll need to be careful. Make sure you have someone help you if you need to lift anything. Do you have any idea about the date of conception?"

"Yes. It was either the 26th or 27th of April. I should be about 9 ½ weeks."

"I'm impressed. Most women can't be that specific."

"Well, I've only had sex two times my entire life and those were the two days I had sex. So, it's pretty easy to do the math."

"Everything looks good down here. We can do an ultrasound to confirm how far along you are. Then, we'll draw some blood and take a urine sample. Would you like the father to come in for the ultrasound?"

A couple minutes later, Jackson walked into the room. He stood by the head of the table and held her hand.

"I'm going to put some of this gel on your stomach. It'll be a little cold."

April winced as the gel was poured on her stomach. She looked at the screen, fuzzy at first, but increasingly clearer. What she saw astounded her. "That's our baby," she said in awe.

She turned to look up at Jackson. He had a smile on his face as he said, "It's pretty tiny."

Dr. Baylor nodded, "Yes, the fetus is a little over 1 inch."

Jackson squinted, "He's no bigger than a walnut."

"He? What if our little walnut turns out to be a girl?" April asked.

"We'll just add an a to whatever name we decide on. Say we like the name Eric, but it turns out to be a girl. Boom, Erica. Problem solved."

"Ha ha. Very funny." April turned to Dr. Baylor. "Is everything normal? Is the baby developing as it should?"

"Everything looks fine. Also, you were right. You are between nine and ten weeks. Your due date is in the middle of January. Would you like a copy of the sonogram?"

"Yes please," April said.

"Could we get two?" Jackson asked.

"Sure, I'll be back in a few minutes."

April glanced at Jackson, "Two copies?"

"What? I can't have a picture of little Wally the walnut?"

"Not if you're going to call the baby that."

Jackson leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "Hey, I'm glad you let me come today."

"Me too."

* * *

Later that evening, April gazed lovingly at the sonogram of her child. "I can't wait to meet you," she said. "We're going to visit your grandma and grandpa this weekend. Hopefully, they'll be as excited to meet you as I am."

She knew that was just wishful thinking. There was no way her parents would be happy about her pregnancy.

* * *

"Uh, what?" April asked dumbfounded.

"Move back to Ohio and live with your father and I. We'll be here to help you with your pregnancy, labor, taking care of the baby, helping him or her with schoolwork, all of that."

"Mom, Dad, I'm glad that you are so supportive of me, but I don't think I could move back in with you. I'm almost thirty years old."

"April," her father began. Before he could get any other words out, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," her father said. "But this discussion is far from over."

April heard her dad open the door. The voice she heard caught her completely off guard. "Hello, sir. I'm Jackson Avery. I'm a friend of April's. It's nice to meet you."

Jackson held out his hand, but her dad didn't take it. "I can't say the same considering all the trouble you've caused my daughter."

"Joe…" Jackson started.

"I'd prefer if you'd call me Mr. Kepner."

April finally spoke, "Jackson, I'd like to talk to you outside for a moment. Mom, Dad, if you'll excuse us."

April grabbed Jackson's arm and pulled him around the corner. They walked to the chicken coop where she spun around and pushed him towards the wall.

"You know I love it when you come on to me, but I don't think your parents' house is really the place."

April glared at him. "What are you doing here?" she asked in a loud whisper.

"You seemed anxious before the trip. I thought if I were around, maybe you wouldn't feel so stressed. How are your parents taking the news?"

"Not well. My mom gave me a guilt trip. My dad wouldn't talk to me for most of the day. Now, they think I should move back to Ohio to raise the baby."

Jackson made a face. "You don't really want to come back here, do you?"

"I've thought about it. There are so many reasons to come back. I'd have my family's love and support. The baby would have like a dozen cousins to play with all the time. My mom offered to babysit. I wouldn't have to worry about finding a daycare. The schools are good here too. It's a great town to grow up in. But…"

"But what?"

"You wouldn't be here. Every research article since the beginning of time says that kids do better in school and in life when their dads are around. I don't want my child to grow up a freak or a hoodlum. I am going to stay in Seattle so our child can have you in his or her life. I just wish my family were closer. That way I wouldn't feel so alone."

Jackson wrapped his arms around her. "You won't be by yourself. I promise. I am here for you and our kid. Always." He tilted her head upwards and pressed his lips against hers.

Suddenly, they heard April's dad clear his throat. "Instead of giving the chickens a show, why don't you two come in the house?"

April stepped away from Jackson, but Jackson took her hand in his as they walked back inside.

The next two hours were filled with reasonably civil discussion. April and Jackson were harangued with dozens of questions about their plans for the baby with April having to admit she had refused to marry Jackson. Afterwards, April's parents didn't give their blessing, but she and Jackson had managed to ease some of her parents' worries.

"Why don't we go out for dinner? I don't have to leave until tomorrow. We can invite Libby, Kimmie and Alice and their families too," April suggested.

Dinner turned out to be a lot of fun. Jackson got along surprisingly well with her sisters, their husbands and her nieces and nephews. Jackson talked about his family and childhood. He bragged about what a good friend April had always been to him. He listened and laughed at the stories her family told about her childhood and adolescence. April thought he might have even gotten her parents to like him a little bit. Midway through the meal, Jackson pulled out his wallet.

"I bet you guys haven't seen this yet," Jackson pulled out a folded sonogram and handed it to her mom. "That's our little walnut. The doctor says he's developing nicely."

April's mom smiled as she looked at the photo. "Isn't that precious?"

"Suck up," April muttered loudly enough for only Jackson to hear. He just smiled.

As they said their goodbyes the next day, April's dad pulled Jackson over to the side.

"If you hadn't gotten my daughter pregnant, I'd think you were a halfway OK kid." After a moment, he added, "Ask her again. Wait until the time is right, but ask her again. She'll say yes."

"Thanks, Mr. Kepner."

"Call me Joe."

* * *

Life had returned to normal for Jackson and April. Well, relatively normal. They still hadn't told anyone at work about the baby. Jackson thought it was weird. He understood that she wanted privacy, but it was getting ridiculous. She was four months pregnant and starting to show. April had started wearing bigger scrubs and loose fitting tops to cover up her belly. If she hadn't, it would be obvious to everyone that she was expecting.

Even Alex, who still lived with them after deciding to stay in Seattle, hadn't noticed anything unusual about the way April acted or dressed. They would know eventually. Jackson didn't think a scrub top existed that could hide a six-month pregnant belly.

He couldn't think about that right now because he had a consult with Sloan. Walking into the room, he met Ms. Dawson.

He listened as she described the multiple procedures she wanted. He started to zone out when the conversation turned to the topic of her ex-husband. April caught his eye in the hallway and he smiled, but not for long. She and Cristina were helping a very angry, inebriated man down the hall. He was attempting to break loose from them.

"Excuse me, Dr. Sloan, Ms. Dawson; I'll be back in a moment."

Jackson walked into the hallway just as the drunk roughly pushed April away from him. She fell backwards and landed on her bottom.

Jackson rushed at the man and took his arm. He walked him to an empty room, shoved him into a chair, and asked one of the nurses to keep an eye on him.

Turning on his heel, he walked back towards April. Cristina and Sloan were helping her off the floor.

"I think that man's stink will follow me all day," Cristina said waving a hand in front of her nose.

April laughed. "I know. His breath was something awful."

Jackson didn't understand how anything about that situation was amusing. "Are you alright?" Jackson's voice came out a little angrier than he intended.

"I'm fine," April said. "It was just a fall. My bottom hurts a bit, but I'm OK."

"I think we should call Dr. Baylor and check to make sure everything is alright."

"She just fell," Cristina noted. "I've assessed her and I expect a full recovery."

"I'm still calling," Jackson muttered as he stepped away to make the call.

Sloan cut in, "Dr. Baylor? Isn't she an OB/GYN?"

"Kepner, are you pregnant?" Cristina asked. Without permission, she placed her hands on April's stomach. "Oh my gosh, you are pregnant, really pregnant like four months."

April slapped Cristina's hands away. "Yes, I'm four months pregnant. Cristina, what are you doing?"

Cristina had her phone out. "I'm texting everyone that the virgin queen has a baby bump, courtesy of Dr. Avery. He is the father, isn't he?"

"Yes, but please don't do this," April pleaded.

"Too late," Cristina said, already walking away. "Well, I better get back to our drunken friend."

Jackson reappeared, "Dr. Baylor said everything should be fine, but wants to do an ultrasound to make sure. I've scheduled an appointment for us at four o'clock."

"Fine," April said. "I hope you're happy. Everyone knows now. Cristina will make sure of that," April sighed. "I've got to talk to Bailey about our patient."

"Be careful. Dr. Baylor says not to lift anything heavy. Don't be afraid to ask for help," Jackson called to April's retreating backside.

Jackson realized that Sloan had been standing there the whole time. "We better get back to Ms. Dawson," Jackson pointed out.

"You're going to be a dad? Congratulations. I have to say that I'm a little hurt you didn't tell me before. I am your mentor after all."

"I wanted to tell people, but April didn't. We have only told her family."

"You haven't told your mom yet?"

"Not yet. I'd rather do that face to face. She'll be here for a conference in a few days; I thought I'd tell her then."

"Good luck."

"Thanks, I'll need it."

* * *

April gave up trying to find a comfortable sleeping position and turned on the light. She reached for the book on her night table and began to read. But for some reason her mind couldn't focus on the story. Instead, she thought about Jackson. He had gone from being a close friend and coworker to father of her child in just a few short months. He'd become so dear to her. Maybe it was because they were going to have a baby together, but April suspected it was something more. She thought she might be falling in love with him.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a light tap on her door. "April," she heard Jackson call softly, "Are you awake?"

He opened the door. He was dressed in a t-shirt and sweat pants. He looked worn out. April scooted over to make more room for him when he lay down on the bed.

"You look exhausted," April noted.

"This week has been hellish. It won't get any better next week either. My mom's coming on Tuesday."

"Are you nervous about telling her? Do you think she'll be mad?"

"If she is, she'll have to get over it. I could've told her earlier, but I didn't want to tell her over the phone." April looked at him worriedly. Jackson put his hand on her cheek. "Everything will be fine. I promise. How are you and little Wally doing?"

April rolled her eyes. He knew she hated that nickname, yet he persisted in calling their baby that. "We're fine. I'm sorry about today. I think I overreacted a bit. Cristina knowing might be a good thing. She'll tell everyone so I won't have to."

Jackson pulled her closer, rubbing her back in circles. April felt herself drifting off to sleep when a strange sensation shot through her stomach. "Oh," she gasped.

"April, are you OK?"

"I'm fine. I think I felt the baby move."

"Really? What did it feel like?" Jackson covered her stomach with his hand.

"It was light, barely noticeable. This sounds weird, but it felt like popcorn popping."

Jackson kept his hand on her stomach for a few more minutes, but the baby didn't move again.

"Jackson, it's getting pretty late. We should get some sleep."

As she spoke, she realized that Jackson was already half asleep. She poked him. Jackson mumbled, "I'm beat. Are you really going to make me walk all the way back to my room?"

"Alright, you can stay" April agreed hesitantly. She turned off the light and rolled to her side. Jackson scooted closer, looping his arm around her waist.

"Jackson…"

"Goodnight April." He patted her stomach, "Goodnight Wally."

April relaxed into his side, falling asleep shortly after.

* * *

After a restful weekend, April got ready for work Monday morning. Today was the day to face the music. She looked at herself in the mirror. My baby bump is cute, she thought. There's no reason I shouldn't flaunt it. She changed into a new maternity top that showed off her belly, and then walked to the kitchen to make breakfast.

Once there, she found Alex propped against the kitchen counter eating a bowl of cereal. "What's up mama?" he asked.

"Not much," April replied as she poured herself a bowl.

"Never pegged you as a girl who'd get knocked up without a wedding ring. Is Avery going to make an honest woman out of you?"

"That's none of your business…Alex, didn't you wear that shirt the other day? I washed some laundry yesterday," April's voice trailed off as she went to the laundry room. She came back and handed him a clean shirt. "Here, wear this instead."

"Practicing the mom thing already. You're kid'll be lucky to have you."

"Thanks, I guess," April muttered bewilderedly as Alex went to change in his room.

* * *

Towards the end of her workday, April was more than ready to get away from everybody. Her coworkers were supportive and congratulatory about her pregnancy, but she was tired of everyone staring at her. She went to work in the pit where she promptly ran into Jackson.

"You want to help me with a patient?" Jackson asked.

"Sure, who do we have?"

"A four year old who fell and needs stitches."

Jackson and April walked into the patient's room.

"Hello, Toby. I'm Dr. Avery and this is Dr. Kepner. We're going to fix up your leg."

"Baby," Toby reached out, putting both hands on April's belly. "You gonna have baby."

"I'm sorry. He's been fascinated with pregnant women lately," Toby's mom explained. "Toby, let's put our hands down."

"It's fine." April said. "Toby, I'm going to clean your cut. Then, Dr. Avery is going to put stitches in your leg so it won't bleed anymore."

Toby, clearly not paying attention, said to April, "You the mommy." Then, he tilted his head to look at Jackson, "You the daddy?"

Toby's mom looked mortified at what her son had said. Jackson grinned and replied, "Yes, I'm the daddy."

* * *

While working on paperwork at the deserted nurse's station, Jackson chuckled.

April looked at him, "What's so funny?"

"I'm thinking about that kid Toby. He was hilarious. He kept trying to touch your stomach. I was getting a little jealous."

"Of a four year old?"

"He was touching you more than I get to."

April blushed. Jackson pulled her close, "You look really hot today."

April scoffed, "Hardly."

Jackson bent down to kiss her forehead, "You," and then her cheek, "look," and finally her lips, "beautiful." April didn't want to hold back any longer; she just gave in. She hooked her arms around his neck as the kiss deepened.

"Jackson."

They pulled apart at the sound of Catherine Avery's voice.

"That's my mom, isn't it?" Jackson asked, hesitant to turn around.

April peeked over his shoulder, and nodded yes. Jackson turned around to face his mother. "Hi, mom," he said.

Catherine Avery rushed over to give her son a hug. "I'm so glad to see you, baby." Jackson's mom pulled back from the embrace to slap her son playfully on the arm. "Shame on you. I didn't know you and April were dating."

Dr. Avery sidestepped her son so she could talk to April. "April, honey, I…" She fell suddenly silent, her eyes glued to April's waist.

"April's pregnant," Jackson informed her. Realizing a second later how stupid that sounded.

"I think that's pretty obvious. When are you due?

"January 17th," April answered.

Catherine glowered at her son. "I have a grandchild entering this world in a few months and I'm only finding out about it now?"

"Mom, I wanted to tell you face to face. I didn't think this was a conversation for over the phone."

"Do you think this conversation is going much better?"

"No, it's not. I'm sorry Mom."

Jackson's mother continued to scold him. April wondered if she could sneak off without them knowing. No, she thought, that would be cowardly. She could use work as an excuse. Problem solved.

"I should probably go. I need to help…some patients," April said.

"Darling, don't let me scare you off. Why don't we go out for dinner tonight? My treat."

Jackson shook his head, but April couldn't think of a plausible excuse for why she couldn't.

"Great. We'll have dinner at seven. I'll see you then," Catherine smiled as April walked off. When April was out of earshot, she turned on her son, "I am not finished with you."

* * *

"You ready April?" Jackson called from the living room.

"Give me a couple more minutes. I'm almost finished curling my hair," April replied. Her hands were shaking a little as she wrapped another strand of hair around the curling iron. She really didn't want to go to dinner. She'd always admired Catherine Avery, but it was a horse of a different color to be having her grandchild. As the future grandmother of her child, she was straight up intimidating.

"Ouch," April yelped. Stuck in her own thoughts too long, she'd accidentally grazed her forehead with the curling iron. Fortunately, it didn't leave a mark.

Jackson stuck his head in the bathroom. "You OK?"

"I'm fine. I almost burnt myself, but I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine."

"That's because I lied. I don't want to do this. Can you go without me?" April pleaded.

Jackson pulled her close, checking her forehead for any signs of a burn. He squeezed her tight. "You've met my mom before. She likes you. Besides, I need you there so she doesn't kill me."

* * *

"This place is nice," April commented. "I'm surprised you could get a reservation so quickly."

"Actually, I had plans with Richard, but the forthcoming birth of my grandchild takes precedence."

"Richard?" April asked. "You mean, Dr. Webber? I didn't know you two were together."

Catherine raised an eyebrow, "Jackson, didn't tell you?"

Jackson shook his head, "Nope. Nuh-uh, we're not going there. Some things are better left forgotten."

"This dinner isn't about me. It's about you two. Have you picked a date for the wedding?"

An awkward silence fell on the table. Who was going to tell her? April summoned enough courage to squeak out, "Actually, we're not getting married."

Catherine turned to look at her son in horror. "You can make her pregnant but you can't marry her?"

"Look, I asked her, but she said no."

"Technically, you didn't ask." April pointed out.

"I precisely remember asking you to marry me within an hour of knowing you were pregnant." Jackson paused. He thought for a second. He hadn't asked her. He had started making plans. Crap, he thought, no wonder she didn't say yes. "OK, maybe it wasn't a question, but I wanted to marry you."

The waiter approached the table to take their orders, effectively ending that conversation. Throughout the rest of dinner, Jackson and his mom tried to keep the bickering to a minimum.

"If you'll excuse me," April said, standing up. "I've got to use the ladies room."

Jackson braced himself for the interrogation he knew was coming.

"I know I've been angry with you, but this whole situation must be hard on you." Catherine empathized. "How are you?"

"I haven't really thought about it. I try to focus on the pregnancy. Whenever I think about the fact that there's going to be an actual baby, that I'm going to be a dad; I get a little overwhelmed."

Jackson's mom reached over to pat his arm. "You're a good man. You'll be a good father too."

Jackson looked at his mom and smiled, "Thanks."

"Are you in love with April?" she asked as she took another bite of salad.

"Damn," he muttered. "You don't let up, do you? I don't know. This whole thing is such a mess."

"She's coming back," Catherine whispered. She smiled up at April, "Would you like some dessert dear?"

During dessert, Jackson and April showed his mom sonograms of the baby.

"This one was taken last week. We almost found out the sex then, but the baby wouldn't cooperate. We tried for 15 minutes, but nothing." April explained.

"Wally's just modest," Jackson teased.

"Wally? Is that one of the names you've picked?" Catherine inquired.

April shook her head, "No, no, no, no, no, no. That's the name Jackson likes to call our baby to irritate me."

April tried to suppress a yawn, which didn't escape Catherine Avery's notice.

"I'd better let Jackson take you home. Although this news was definitely a surprise," Catherine glared at Jackson. "I'm overjoyed about being a grandmother. You two will be great parents," she reassured April as she squeezed her hand.

"Thanks. I think I have to run to the bathroom one more time, just to be on the safe side."

As they waited for April, Catherine pounced on Jackson, "Since you clearly don't know how to propose to a woman, let me explain it to you. You get her a ring. You get down on one knee and ask her an actual question such as, "Will you marry me?" Try it that way. You'll get better results."

Jackson rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the advice."

"By the way, I think you do know how you feel. After this evening, it's quite apparent how you and April feel about each other. You might not be saying it with words, but your faces don't lie."

"Do you think that April…?" Jackson began only to be stopped by April's return. He caught his mother's nod to his unfinished question.

"You two go home, get some rest. I'll be seeing you."

She hugged them goodbye and they were on their way. April pleased that the evening hadn't been a total train wreck. Jackson shocked that his mother thought April had deeper feelings for him.

* * *

April watched as her alarm clock slowly turned to 5:43. She still had a little over an hour until it was time to get ready for work. She rolled over to her other side to find Jackson still in deep sleep. For the past couple months, Jackson had slept in her room. It had started that night when she first felt the baby move. Every night since then Jackson would change into a T-shirt and pajama pants and then slip under the covers with her. But last night he had complained that he was too warm.

"I'm sorry," she had said. "I'm generating heat like an oven."

"That's alright. Keep baking. I want our child to come out fully cooked," Jackson smiled as he removed his shirt.

As she faced Jackson, she wished he had kept his shirt on. For the life of her, she could not take her eyes off his body. In deep slumber, his face was relaxed, free of the wrinkle between his eyebrows. He always looked handsome, but April particularly loved how he had grown his hair out. She longed to run her hands through the mass of beginning curls. Her eyes dropped to his jaw covered in stubble. She remembered the feel of it against her skin. It had felt rough, but wonderful. Her eyes followed down his neck to his broad shoulders and strong arms. Closing her eyes, April recalled the feel of those arms around her, lifting her. Whenever he held her, she felt safe and cared for. Opening her eyes, she took time to appreciate his chest. April resisted the urge to trace the line bisecting his stomach in half. Her heart rate tripled at the path of hair leading to his pajama pants.

April suddenly realized her breathing had quickened along with her pulse. She shouldn't be thinking these thoughts. Yet, for the past week, all she could think about was sex. It really didn't help that the most incredibly gorgeous man slept next to her at night. Because in the mornings she had really inappropriate thoughts about what she would like to do to him.

She had heard that pregnancy increased a woman's sex drive, but this was getting to be a little ridiculous. She thought about having sex with Jackson all the time, constantly fighting the urge to beg him for it.

"Good morning," Jackson murmured groggily.

"Like what you see?" Jackson asked when she hadn't responded to his greeting.

April nodded, putting her hand on his chest. After a few stop and go movements to accommodate for her oversized stomach, April found herself underneath Jackson, kissing him feverishly.

"Is this OK?" Jackson asked as he kissed his way down her neck.

Yes, being kissed and caressed by the man she loved was definitely OK. "Mmmhmm. I've been thinking about this for a week," April confessed.

"I've been thinking about this for months," Jackson admitted as his mouth blazed a trail of kisses down to her stomach.

April moaned, stroking Jackson's hair. This is what she had been missing for six months.

Just as Jackson was about to take off her pajama top, she felt her stomach rumble and the steady rise of bile creep up her throat. She shoved Jackson off her. "Hey," he protested, but she didn't respond. She rushed to the toilet, promptly emptying the contents of her stomach.

Jackson stood watching her wash her hands and rinse out her mouth. "So, as much as I'd love to return to what we were doing, it's almost 7. We have to get ready for work. I'll let you shower first."

"Thanks," April whispered, leaning her head back against the wall as Jackson closed the bathroom door. She had never felt less attractive in her life. Stopping to throw up in the middle of making out was extremely unsexy. She was so embarrassed.

* * *

April watched from the nurse's station as Jackson discharged a patient. She couldn't hear what was being said but the blonde woman's body language was obvious.

"Oh, thank you for my new boobs. I'm going to bounce up and down so you can see them jiggle," April mocked. "Don't you love my huge boobs and tiny waist? Don't I look fabulous? You and I should make out. I promise I won't puke on you like that fat chick you knocked up almost did."

"What are you doing?"

April jerked to see Callie staring at her. "Nothing," April replied sheepishly.

"Ms. Perky Rack is coming on pretty strong. Don't blame you for being jealous," Callie observed.

"I'm not jealous. Jackson and I aren't together. He is totally free to date any plastic, dimwitted skank that he wants."

"Not jealous at all," Callie said unbelievingly.

April asked a question that had been on her mind. "When you were pregnant, did you ever find that you thought a lot about…? That you wanted…? That you were, um…?"

"Horny? It was off and on for me. Some weeks all I thought about was sex. Other weeks I didn't want to be touched. Don't worry, April, I'm sure Jackson is more than willing to help you in your time of need."

* * *

As they drove to Dr. Baylor's office later that afternoon, Jackson asked, "You seem quiet. Are you feeling sick?"

"I'm fine," April snapped. "Could we not talk right now?"

"Did I do something to upset you? I thought things were going in a different direction this morning."

"I said I don't want to talk. If you want to talk to someone, why don't you call up Ms. Perky Rack," April spat.

"Ms. Perky Rack?"

"You know that blonde bimbo you discharged earlier today. I'm sure she'd love to hear from you again."

"April, where is this coming from? I'm not interested in anyone else."

"Really? Are you sure you don't want someone who doesn't throw up in the middle of making out."

"April, is that what you're upset about? You're pregnant. You're going to be sick sometimes. I get that."

April started to tear up. "Being pregnant is terrible. I feel so awkward and I waddle like a duck. My hormones are a mess. I think about having sex with you every waking second. Then, when I finally get what I want, I ruin it by almost hurling on you."

Jackson parked the car. "You didn't ruin anything. I didn't want to be rushed this morning. I promise I'll make it up to you later." He wiped away her tears with his thumbs and planted a soft kiss on her lips. "Let's go see if we're having a boy or girl."

An hour and a half later, April and Jackson walked back to the car holding hands. Jackson grinned, "I always knew Wally would be a boy."

"Lucky guess," April stuck her tongue out as she buckled herself in.

"Are there any names you like?" Jackson asked as he drove towards their house.

"I've always liked Thomas or Anderson or Cayden spelled C-a-y-d-e-n."

"I like Cayden. What about Cayden Isaac?" Jackson suggested.

"Cayden Isaac Avery. His initials would be C.I.A."

Jackson glanced at April, "You want his last name to be just Avery? You don't want to hyphenate it with your last name?"

"Ugh, no. I hate when parents do that to their kids. Avery's a good last name," April assured Jackson.

* * *

April cleaned up after dinner. She put leftovers in the fridge for Alex and started to wash the dishes. No wonder people said pregnancy was an emotional roller coaster, she thought. She had felt desire, hurt, anger, self-pity, and happiness all in the course of one day. To think, she still had three months of this. Poor Jackson deserved a medal for putting up with her extra crazy.

Jackson walked in the kitchen, freshly showered, wearing only a pair of sweatpants. He walked up behind her, encircling his arms around her waist. He buried his face into her neck. April dropped the dish into the sudsy water, leaning back into the strength of his arms. How she adored this man who seemed to have a super human amount of patience.

April turned and grinned wickedly at him, "Are we going to finish what we started this morning?"

Jackson swallowed and looked down at the floor as he said, "I don't think we should."

Jackson could kick himself for his poor choice of words, knowing that April would not take them well. He wanted her, but not like this. They needed to discuss some things first.

April's face grew red. She moved away from him. "You're a stupid jerk!" she bellowed. "I am a hormonal wreck and YOU," she pointed at him. "You're being a tease."

Jackson chuckled. April sounded like a horny teenage boy.

"April," he started, but was quickly interrupted.

"No, don't April me. Your intentions were pretty clear this afternoon. Now, you flake out on me. It is your fault that I'm this way and you're the only one who can fix it. I deserve this. I...I demand that you have sex with me. Drop your pants, Avery."

"April, let's slow down a bit. We need to talk about us, not friends us, not parents us, but us us."

April looked at him confused, "What?"

Jackson repeated himself slowly, "I…want…to…talk. Let's go sit down on the couch."

"I'm pregnant, not learning disabled," April snapped. "If you want to talk, you'll have to put a shirt on. I can't deal with that right now," April said, motioning towards his chest.

Jackson found a shirt and put it on. He plopped next to her on the couch.

"So?" April asked.

"So, I've been thinking." Jackson drew a deep breath, running his hands over his knees. He didn't think he'd be this nervous. "We should date, be boyfriend and girlfriend, you know."

That was so lame, he thought. He tried again, "We're great friends. We're having a baby. We're attracted to each other. I think we should give this a shot. I think we'd work as a couple."

"Why?" she asked.

"I'm sorry?"

"Why do you want to be with me?" April clarified.

Jackson pondered the question for a moment. "Why do I want to date thee? Let me count the ways. You're kind. Funny. Caring. You're the person I trust the most. Whenever I have a crap day at work, you always find a way to make me feel better. I can talk to you about anything. You're always there for me. I'll always be there for you. I'd like to give us a chance." He cupped her cheek, stroking it lightly with his thumb, "I'm not going to hurt you."

April closed her eyes, desperately wanting to believe him. It would be such a risk. She knew she loved him, but would he ever feel the same? A trite proverb popped in her head. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. April opened her eyes and nodded, "OK, let's do it."

"Not so fast. I answered your question. You have to answer mine. Why do you want to be with me?"

Because I love you, she thought, but didn't say aloud. Instead, she tilted her head to the side, "Why do I want to date you? Why do I want to date you? That's a tough one." Jackson tickled her behind her knee. "OK, OK, I'll answer the question. You are kind, funny and caring too. You always take my side. You have the patience of a saint. Whenever I feel stressed out, you calm me down. I feel safe and protected with you. You accept me for who I am which is a bossy and neurotic mess. For all those reasons and more, I'd like to give us a chance. There, satisfied?"

"Mmhmm. What should we do now that we're officially a couple?" Jackson smirked with a knowing gleam in his eyes. "I believe you mentioned something about me dropping my pants?"

April blushed beet red. She still couldn't believe she'd actually said that to him. Jackson stood up, taking her hand and led her to the bedroom.

Minutes later, April and Jackson were repeating their performance from this morning, sans the morning sickness. Jackson grabbed and lifted her blouse over her head, leaving April in her bra. Finding herself unexpectedly self-conscious, April broke away from his kiss.

"What's wrong?" Jackson asked. "Are you feeling sick again?"

"No. I'm fine. It's just I'm not feeling all that attractive right now, being pregnant and all. Do you think we could turn off the lights?"

"I'd rather not," Jackson replied, bending his head down to kiss her once more.

Pressing on his shoulders, April turned her head away from his. "Jackson, I mean it. I don't feel comfortable with the lights on."

"I'm not turning them off," he said in a quiet voice. "You don't have any idea how sexy you are, do you? Your hair, your eyes, your mouth. Gorgeous." Jackson placed a small kiss on her lips and smiled against her mouth. "Let's keep the lights on."

They continued to kiss as more clothing was shed. April's anticipation grew as she remembered how good the first two times felt. Then, she remembered the shame she'd felt afterwards.

"Jackson. Jackson, we have to stop. We can't do this."

Jackson lifted his head, looking into her eyes. "What now?"

April scooted to the other side of the bed, taking the cover with her. "I don't want to make another mistake," she declared. "Last time we did this, I was stressed because of the Boards. Now, I'm driven by my hormones. It just doesn't seem right."

Jackson lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. "You're saying we should wait."

"We should wait."

After a couple minutes, Jackson hadn't said anything else. April poked him. "Are you mad at me?"

"No. I'm just trying to recover."

* * *

Later that night, April sat on the couch watching Conan and eating ice cream. After grabbing a beer from the fridge, Jackson joined her. April leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, "I'm sorry for being such a tease."

"It's alright. I'm not upset. I have been doing some thinking though."

"About what?" April asked.

"Karev's got to go."

"I've been thinking the same thing. We need to use his room as a nursery. What do you think about trains or sailboats or like a cowboy theme?"

"I don't really have an opinion. I'll leave it up to you."

"You should care. You're going to have to paint the room, set up the furniture, hang up the curtains, all of that. I want everything to be perfect before Cayden arrives. The sooner we get started the better."

"Now that I think about it, Karev should probably stay." Jackson teased.

* * *

"I'm done with being pregnant," April complained to Bailey. "I'm tired of my back hurting, my feet swelling, peeing every 30 minutes, all of it. I am ready for this baby to get out of my stomach."

"Don't wish away this time," Bailey insisted. "Pregnancy is easy. Then, the hard part starts. You have an infant who does nothing but eat and poop. You will spend every waking hour either feeding him or changing his diaper. You will forget what sleep feels like. I recommend you sleep while you still can."

After Bailey left to attend to a patient, April realized that maybe she had exaggerated a little. Her pregnancy hadn't been that bad. She'd dealt with morning sickness and back pains, but nothing out of the usual. She just couldn't wait to see her sweet baby boy. She wondered what he looked like. Over the holidays, her parents had met Jackson's mom and grandparents. The meeting had gone surprisingly well. They seemed to get along with each other. Both mothers had brought baby pictures. Currently, they were tucked in April's hospital bag, ready to be taken out and analyzed to see who the baby resembled most. Jackson had been cute, even as an infant. He'd had a cap full of curly black hair and blue eyes. April, on the other hand, had been chubby and bald. She hoped her son favored his father.

Jackson came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"I'm just wondering what our little Cayden will look like."

"Hmm," Jackson pondered. "I'm pretty sure he's going to have a head, two arms, two legs, two hands, two feet..."

April swatted him. "Very funny. But seriously, I need this baby to change his place of residency from my uterus to the outside world, stat. I will use the power of positive thinking. By this time next week, we will be parents."

* * *

Two weeks later, April sat on the couch watching TV, still pregnant. She killed time by washing and folding the tons of baby clothes she had received. There really was nothing left to do. Her bag was packed, the nursery was ready, even the car seat was installed. All she did was wait and watch copious amounts of TV.

Jackson opened the front door, carrying dinner. "Here's your orange chicken and your fried rice. I even got you some extra won tons," he said as he set the food on the coffee table in front of her. He turned off the TV. "Do you mind if we just talk instead?"

Sitting down, he patted the pocket of his jacket. The box was still there. He felt his palms start to sweat, his heart beat faster. He was determined to do it right this time.

He smiled as he watched April enthusiastically enjoying her food. "What? Do I have food on my face or something?" April asked, reflexively wiping her face.

"No. You look beautiful." He took her box of orange chicken and put it back down on the table. Taking her face in his hands, he looked into her eyes, "I love you."

April's heart stopped beating for a moment. Did he really just say that? Still staring at her, he closed the distance even more, whispering against her lips, "I love you, April Kepner."

"I love you too," she confessed.

As he kissed her, Jackson slipped his fingers inside his jacket pocket reaching for the box containing the ring he had bought earlier that day. Before he took it out, he felt the all too familiar push of April's hands against his chest. He knew he was about to be informed of whatever doubt was currently floating through her mind.

He was to be proved wrong. Instead, April grabbed his hand and squeezed tight, her face contorted in pain. "I think the baby's coming," she panted.

As the contraction ended, April let out the breath she'd been holding. She slowly released Jackson's hand. Mentally, she was freaking out. She was in labor. After weeks of wishing to be done with her pregnancy, it was now so close to being over.

"Do you think we should go to the hospital?" Jackson asked, proving that dumb questions did exist.

April nodded, "I think so. I like this couch. I'd hate to get placenta all over it."

Five hours later, it was time to push. The nurse asked if she wanted a mirror so she could see the baby's head. "No, I'm good," April replied, not desiring to see that part of her anatomy split brutally open. Lifting up on her elbows, she pushed with all her might.

After a couple more pushes, Dr. Baylor noted, "I see the baby's head. Dad, do you want to take a look?"

"No, he doesn't," April said grabbing Jackson's arm before he moved towards the end of the table. He was a fool if he thought she was going to let him look down there. She did not want any disturbing images of her hoo-ha floating in his mind the next time they had sex. "You think it's going to be amazing seeing your child born, but it won't be. It'll just be gross. Once you look, it's something you'll never be able to unsee."

"I just want to take a quick peek," Jackson teased.

"Stay by my head or so help me…" April threatened.

"Fine. I'll stay by your head. Even in labor, you're very bossy," Jackson chuckled, smoothing her sweat-matted hair away from her brow. Intertwining his fingers with hers, he stood by her throughout the rest of the delivery. At last, she gave a final push and her baby was completely out.

As the nurses and doctor quickly dried and checked their son, Jackson leaned down and kissed her. "Thank you for giving me my son. I love you."

Returning his kiss, she whispered, "I love you too."

Her son, dry and wrapped in a blanket, was placed in her arms. She looked at him, his face all smooshed, crying his little head off. She'd never seen anything more perfect in her life.

As she smiled at her son and stroked his cheek, a few tears trickled down her face. She kissed his head. "Hi precious one, I'm your mommy," she said half laughing, half crying. She gazed at him for the longest time, already totally in love with this tiny human.

"Are you going to breastfeed?" asked the nurse. "If you are, it's best to start within an hour of giving birth."

"Oh, OK. I'm not really sure how to…" April said bewilderedly. Fortunately, her nurse was experienced and helpful in these matters. After a few awkward minutes, the baby finally latched on.

"He's beautiful," she heard Jackson say. So taken with her son, she had forgotten his father was still in the room.

"Yes, he is. I think he's done for now. Do you want to hold him?"

Jackson gulped, "Uh, sure. I guess."

He stretched out his arms and April transferred the baby into his arms. April noticed a couple beads of sweat on his forehead. She laid her hand over the one resting on top of their son's stomach. April caressed his hand lovingly, reassuring him, "Don't be nervous. You're going to be fine. He's programmed to like you. You're his daddy."

"Hey little man," Jackson cooed at the baby. April's heart melted at the sight of them. Jackson's eyes were glued on their little boy. He didn't say anything, just smiled and rubbed his son's belly. Like everything else, fatherhood looked good on Jackson Avery.

Looking up at April, he asked, "We still like Cayden Isaac?" She nodded. Dropping his gaze back to his son he murmured, "Cayden Isaac Avery, I'm glad you're here."

* * *

"What the hell?" Jackson groaned, startled from his sleep.

April slowly got out of bed, sighing, "It's your son. He's hungry…again."

Putting on her slippers, she asked, "Are you going to get up with me?"

"I can't really help you feed him. I'll change his diaper later or something," Jackson mumbled into his pillow, shutting his eyes.

Slightly enraged, April leaned over the bed and ripped the covers off him. The cold February air hit him. "Hey," he protested.

Just as April was about to fuss at Jackson, they heard a knock on the door. "Sorry to interrupt," Catherine Avery said, holding an upset Cayden. "But your little honey angel is very hungry. I thought I'd bring him to you so you wouldn't have to go all the way to the nursery."

"Thanks, Catherine," April said as she took her son from his grandmother. Picking the blankets off the floor, she settled back into bed.

"It was so good to be here the last two weeks. I'm really going to miss my sweet grandbaby." Walking over to Jackson, she squeezed him tight, "I'll miss my own baby too. I'm definitely going to need to visit Seattle more often."

April was propped up against pillows while her son happily chowed down. Jackson lay watching them. "He grunts like a little pig when he eats. Looks like he's starting to get as big as one too" he noted, squeezing the baby's belly.

"Sorry about that. He gets it from me. I was extremely chubby as an infant. I'm afraid he's going to be a chunk monster too." Looking down at her son, she smiled, "Other than that, he looks exactly like you."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, he has a full head of hair just like you did. He has your nose and your lips. I really hope he gets your eye color too."

"Maybe when we have a girl, she'll look like you with your beautiful brown eyes."

Inside April was squealing with glee at the thought of having more children with him. She'd always imagined having at least two or three. Turning off the girly part of her brain, she reasoned, "We have a two week old. I think it's a little too soon to be talking about the next one."

Jackson teased, "I was thinking we could do a three in five situation."

"What does that mean?"

"You know three kids in five years. Get 'em all out at once." Jackson chuckled at April's side eye.

"You've been making lots of plans for us and we're not even married."

"You know you're right." Jackson got up and walked over to the dresser. He retrieved something from the top drawer and turned around. As he approached her side of the bed, April caught sight of a small, black box. Her heart quickened as Jackson knelt by her side of the bed. She clutched Cayden tightly to her chest as she waited for Jackson to speak.

"I was planning on doing this a couple of weeks ago, but our little guy kind of ruined that for me," Jackson explained. He opened the box. "April, I love you. Nothing would make me happier than if you would spend the rest of your life with me. Will you be my wife? Will you marry me?"

Not needing to spend any time pondering the question, April enthusiastically replied, "Yes!"

Taking the ring out of the box, Jackson slid it on her ring finger. He rose, capturing her face, and kissed her hungrily. April wrapped her free arm around his neck, pulling him closer, ready to spend the rest of her life with her best friend.


End file.
